


Tell him

by Pers



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 15:50:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pers/pseuds/Pers
Summary: Poe Dameron is one of the most daring pilots in the galaxy and he'll be first in line when it comes to fighting against the First Order. But telling Finn he loves him? That's quite another matter.





	Tell him

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slightlytookish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlytookish/gifts).



Poe Dameron couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he'd fallen in love with Finn. He'd liked Finn almost right from the start, and when they'd met again on D’Qar, Poe had to admit to himself that yes, maybe he had a little crush on Finn. 

Somewhere along the way, that crush had turned into more, and Poe only realized when he saw Finn peering over the edge of that light shuttle in the old rebel base on Crait. He was so relieved to see Finn alive, he'd wanted to do nothing more than to grab hold of him and hug him tight and possibly declare his undying love to him.

But while Poe was one of the most daring pilots in the galaxy, he was a complete coward when it came to love. Overwhelmed by his sudden realization, and with everyone standing by watching, Poe lost his courage. He hugged BB-8 instead, which was fine because he really liked the little droid, but well, BB-8 wasn't Finn...

Perhaps Poe would have found his courage again if he'd had a moment alone with Finn, but there were too many other things to take care of. Like facing the First Order, which could very well be the last thing they did. Poe promised himself that if they survived, he would tell Finn how he felt about him.

Against all odds, they did survive, but with everything that was going on, Poe didn't have the time to think about how he was going to tell Finn until they were on the Millennium Falcon. And then, somehow, Poe felt like the moment to tell Finn had passed. There were once again too many people around, and as Finn seemed preoccupied with making sure Rose was alright, Poe felt his resolve falter once more.

Poe sighed and patted BB-8's head. "At least I've still got you, buddy."

Ignoring the droid's inquisitive beeps, Poe wandered off into the direction of the storerooms to get some peace and quiet. As he rounded a corner, he almost bumped into Rey. She easily sidestepped him though, and Poe was once again impressed by her Jedi reflexes.

"Sorry about that," Poe said, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No harm done," Rey replied with a smile.

"I was just... you know," Poe waved his hand around, "trying to find a quiet place to think."

"I understand."

"Yeah, I guess life on Jakku was pretty quiet. This must be quite a change for you then."

"It is," Rey agreed. "I honestly can't remember the last time I've had this many people around me. But I like it," she said, nodding slowly. "I like being around people I care about."

"You mean like Finn?" Poe asked, because his thoughts were still dwelling on Finn.

"Yes, of course I care about Finn."

"He cares about you as well," Poe said. "You were the first thing he asked about when we found him naked and leaking in the corridor."

Rey gave him a confused look. "Naked and leaking?" she asked slowly. 

"Oh, uhm, BB-8's words, not mine," Poe said, and proceeded to tell Rey how they'd found Finn right after he'd woken up. The story made her laugh, and as she wiped tears of laughter away from her face, Poe felt a pang in his heart. 

Rey and Finn seemed so close, and Poe wondered if he'd ever have such a connection with Finn. What if Finn and Rey were more than just friends? Poe wouldn't stand a chance, not that he'd want to get between them anyway. Perhaps his plan to tell Finn that he loved him had been doomed from the start.

"What's wrong?" Rey asked, and Poe realized he'd been quiet for too long. 

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking," he apologized, giving her a bright smile, even though he felt nothing like smiling.

"About?" she prompted.

"Nothing in particular," Poe said quickly. "Anyway, I'd better let you head back to the lounge area. Finn will probably be wondering where you are."

Rey was giving him a puzzled look, like she was trying to work something out. Poe decided to retreat before she discerned what was on his mind. Jedi could do that sort of thing, couldn't they?  
Turning to leave, Poe almost stumbled over BB-8, who had somehow managed to sneak up on them.

BB-8 let out an indignant beep, and then proceeded to ask why Poe wasn't with Finn if he liked him that much. If Poe had any hopes of Rey not being able to understand droid-speak, they were dashed when Rey's eyes widened and she looked right at Poe.

"You're in love with Finn!" she exclaimed. She sounded so delighted that Poe was momentarily taken aback. 

"You should tell him!" Rey continued.

"No, absolutely not," Poe replied, ignoring his own promise to do just that.

"Why not?" Rey wanted to know. "I'm sure it would make him happy."

"But I thought that maybe you and Finn...?"

"What?" Rey asked, confused. But she caught Poe's meaning a few moments later. "Oh, I see. No, definitely not." She shook her head. 

"Not?" Poe asked, hope blossoming in his chest. 

"No. Finn is... Finn is family," Rey explained. She gave a little gasp and her face lit up again. "And when you and Finn get together, you're going to be family as well! We could be like in-laws!" 

She was beaming at Poe and he couldn't help but smile back. "So you really think I stand a chance with Finn?" he asked.

"Of course!" Rey sounded so certain that Poe felt his courage return. "Just go and tell him."

Poe straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell him."

"You're going to tell him."

"I'm going to tell him," Poe said, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. "I'm going to do it."

Rey once again said, "You're going to tell him."

Poe paused and gave her a suspicious look. "You're not trying to influence me with a Jedi mind trick, are you?"

"Of course not," Rey said, perhaps a little to quickly. She made shooing motions with her hands. "Now go and tell Finn that you love him."

BB-8 beeped in agreement, and that was all it took. Poe turned on his heel and marched back towards the lounge area. He was going to walk right up to Finn and tell him. Then Poe remembered how crowded the lounge had been and thought that he would have to get Finn to a more private place first. Perhaps Rey could help with that.

Biting his lip thoughtfully, Poe entered the lounge and was surprised to find it almost empty. Nien Nunb and C'ai Threnalli were sitting at the hologram board table, playing a game. General Organa was talking quietly to Lieutenant Connix in a corner. And there was Finn, still sitting by Rose's side while she remained unconscious.

Taking another deep breath, Poe went over there and joined Finn. "Hey buddy." 

Finn looked up at him. "Oh, hey."

He sounded distracted, and Poe felt his heart sink. This didn't seem at all like the moment for a declaration of love. But he'd already missed so many chances to tell Finn how he felt. Poe decided to play it by ear.

"How are you doing?" he asked Finn. 

Finn gave a shrug. "I'm alright," he said. "But Rose is still unconscious."

"I'm sure she'll wake up soon."

"I hope so," Finn said, giving Rose's hand a squeeze. He looked up at Poe. "She saved my life, you know."

"Yes, I saw." 

It had been a maddening and scary moment when Finn had refused to obey his orders to pull back. Luckily, Rose had intervened and used her ski speeder to push Finn out of the path of the siege cannon's beam. If anyone had asked Poe, she deserved a medal simply for saving Finn. He wanted to say as much, but Finn already continued talking.

"She kissed me right before she fell unconscious," Finn told him, "telling me we shouldn't fight against people we hate but instead fight for the people we love."

Poe suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Oh. So that's how it was. Apparently, Finn and Rose had grown a lot closer on their mission, and who was Poe to stand in their way? He felt like something inside him had shrivelled up and died, but he tried not to let it show on his face.

"It's a nice sentiment," he told Finn, resisting the urge to rest his hand on Finn's shoulder. "And I'm sure she'll be fine. Just give her some time."

Finn nodded and returned his attention to Rose. Poe decided it was a good moment to retreat, and he left the lounge as quickly as he could without drawing attention to himself. He needed to find something to do, to distract himself somehow.

Once again he almost ran into Rey, and once again she moved out of the way quickly. "How did it go?" she asked excitedly. "Did you tell him?" 

"No, and I'm not going to," Poe told her. "Please don't mention it again, to anyone."

There was an inquiring whistle from BB-8, and Rey stared at Poe open-mouthed. "But..."

"No. Absolutely not," Poe said again. "Come on, BB-8, let's get you checked and cleaned up."

BB-8's head swivelled to and fro between Rey and Poe, but then the droid decided to follow Poe. When they had reached an empty storeroom, Poe picked up a clean rag and set to work. BB-8's outside was already spotless, but Poe gave it another polish anyway because he just needed something to do.

Over the next few days, Poe threw himself into work. General Organa had promoted him back to the rank of commander, and he spent much time in meetings discussing plans where and how to set up a new rebel base. He would have preferred to jump into an X-wing and blow things up, but at least he was keeping busy. 

There was much to do - scouting suitable locations for the new base, acquiring funds to buy new equipment, and recruiting new members for their diminished rebel alliance. But before anything could be done, apparently there had to be dozens of meetings making plans. 

At the end of such a meeting, Poe found himself with some free time and he didn't quite know what to do with himself. He wandered into the direction of his favourite storeroom, the one where a group of porgs had made their nests behind some crates. Their big eyes gave them a constant mournful look, and that just seemed to fit Poe's mood perfectly at the moment.

As he settled down on the floor, resting his back against one of the crates, and fed breadcrumbs to the porgs, Poe's thoughts involuntarily drifted towards Finn. He had managed to avoid Finn's company as much as possible over the past week, keeping their interactions short. 

Poe felt a pang in his heart whenever he so much as looked at Finn, and he cursed himself for being such a coward. Perhaps if he'd spoken up sooner, he might have stood a chance. But it would be unfair to tell Finn now, not when he'd obviously found someone else and had a chance of happiness with Rose. 

Rose had regained consciousness several days ago, and save for a sprained ankle, she was fine. Poe had thanked her and told her she'd done a great job, but that was as far as it went. She probably preferred Finn's company anyway, and Poe didn't feel like he wanted to hang around the new couple.

At least he still had BB-8, Poe told himself, petting the porg that had settled down on his leg in the hopes of getting more breadcrumbs. Although to be honest, BB-8 seemed to prefer the company of Rey nowadays. 

Rey still didn't seem to understand why he didn't just tell Finn he loved him, but Poe stubbornly ignored the pointed looks she'd been giving him. Just in case she decided to influence him with a Jedi mind trick after all, Poe had been avoiding her as well.

He wondered if instead of having him as an in-law, Rey would agree to consider him a sort of brother. He'd never had any siblings growing up, and his fellow pilots were the only other people he would consider family, but he found that he quite liked the idea of counting Rey as his sister. 

He looked down at the porg on his lap, which had closed its eyes and squawked happily as Poe scratched its head. There was a swish of the storeroom door opening, and someone came inside. Poe scooted down a little, hoping the crates would hide him from view. He didn't really feel like having company right now.

There was a sniffle, followed a sob, and then the sound of someone blowing their nose. Poe cautiously peered around the corner of the crate to see what was going on. There was Rose, sitting on one of the smaller crates, twisting a handkerchief in her hands, with tears streaming down her face. 

Surprised, Poe pulled back and considered what to do. Should he alert Rose to his presence? Rose had most likely come to this storeroom to get some privacy and might not be too pleased to have another person present. On the other hand, who knew how long Rose would sit here and cry? He didn't want to be stuck in this storeroom for the rest of the day.

He looked down at the porg, as if it could give him any advice. But all the the porg did was flap its wings to beg for some more breadcrumbs. Poe sighed and started to get up from the floor, clearing his throat. There was a startled sob coming from Rose, and she stared at him with red, tear-filled eyes. 

"Hey," Poe said, giving her an embarrassed grin. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just... feeding the porgs." He pointed towards the porg that was now resting in the crook of his arm. "And now I'm going to leave you in peace."

"'s okay," Rose mumbled and went back to crying into her handkerchief. Poe paused at the door.

"Is everything alright?" he asked cautiously. "Did anything happen? Do you want me to get Finn?"

This just seemed to make Rose cry even harder, and Poe stood by helplessly as her shoulders shook from another bout of sobs. She took a few deep breaths, dabbing at her eyes with the already soggy handkerchief. 

"I'm sorry," she apologized, looking up at Poe. "It's just... I'm such a fool!"

Poe sat down on the crate beside her. "That's not true," he said. 

"It is!" she insisted, reaching for the pendant that was hanging around her neck. "Oh, I wish Paige were here."

"I'm very sorry about your sister," Poe said. "Paige was a very brave pilot, and I wish there was anything I could do to bring her back."

Rose sobbed again. "I know," she said quietly. "And I know that she died for something she believed in, but still... I miss her. I wish I could talk to her now."

Poe didn't know what to reply to that, and so they remained silent for a while, save for an occasional sob or sniffle coming from Rose. 

"What are you supposed to do when you're in love with someone and they're not interested in you?" she asked suddenly.

Poe felt his heart constrict again. He knew that feeling only too well. "Hide away in a storeroom, probably," he said. This remark got a watery laugh from Rose.

"Yes, probably." She dabbed at her eyes again. "I don't know why I thought he'd ever be interested," she continued, as if talking to herself. "Well, if I hadn't thought I was dying I probably never would have kissed him."

It took Poe a moment to catch on to what Rose had just said. "Are you... are you talking about Finn?" he asked.

Rose nodded, fresh tears dripping from her eyes. "He said he loves me, but only as a friend." She looked up, trying to blink away the tears. "Oh, I'm such a fool. But I just couldn't help falling in love with him."

"Yeah," Poe said softly, "Finn is like that. I couldn't help falling in love with him either."

Rose gasped, and Poe realized what he'd just said. Rose was staring at him with wide eyes. "You mean... you... Oh. Now I feel like even more of a fool."

"Don't say that," Poe told her. "You're not a fool. In fact, you're a very brave person, a lot braver than me. You took a chance and told Finn how you felt about him, whereas I'm just a coward who hides away in storerooms."

Rose didn't reply, she just continued crying softly to herself. Poe was beginning to feel awkward and thought he should probably leave her in peace, when she wiped her face on her arm and turned to look at him.

"You should tell him," she said.

"What?"

"You should tell Finn that you love him," Rose said. "I may feel like a fool, but I'm still glad I told him. I think I would have regretted it if I'd died without letting Finn know he was loved." She gave Poe a determined look, and he was once again struck by her bravery. "So, I think you should tell him."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. In fact, I think you should go and tell him now."

Poe thought that might be a more or less polite way of letting him know she wanted to be alone, and who could blame her? So he got up from the crate, handing her the porg that had fallen asleep in the crook of his arm.

"You're right," he said. "I'm going to tell him." 

He was going to take a chance, even if Finn didn't feel the same way, he deserved to know that there were people who cared for him and loved him. 

Rose simply nodded, pressing the porg against her chest. 

Poe paused at the doorway. "Rose? I meant what I said, you're a very brave person. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And while I may not be the person you want to be around right now, you shouldn't hide away in this storeroom forever. Go and talk to someone. Find Rey, I'm sure she would be thrilled to consider you her sister."

"I'll think about it," Rose replied quietly.

Poe gave her a nod, and then he went off in search of Finn before he lost his courage once again. He would tell Finn this time. He was determined.

So determined was Poe to find Finn that he didn't even pay attention to where he was going until General Organa called out to him. "Commander Dameron! Come and talk to me for a moment if you please."

Poe stopped in his tracks and turned around to where the general was sitting. Chewbacca was there, too, as well as Rey and BB-8.

"General?" he asked, unable to keep the impatience out of his voice. He really didn't have the time for yet another meeting right now.

"Tell me, Commander," the general continued, "are you ever going to tell Finn that you love him?"

Poe was struck speechless. How could she know? His eyes swivelled towards Rey and BB-8, wondering which one of the two had blabbed his secret to the general. Both Rey and BB-8 gave him innocent looks.

"They didn't tell me," General Organa continued. "They didn't have to. I've know for a while that you're head over heels in love with the young man."

Poe's mouth opened and closed a few times without a sound coming out. 

"The question remains, are you ever going to tell him, or am I going to have to order you to do it? Because I will, if that's what it takes. This lovesick behaviour of yours is starting to grate on my nerves."

Chewbacca growled in agreement. 

"Uhm," Poe said, trying to wrap his head around the fact that his general was actually giving him advice on his love life. "Uhm. Actually, I was just on my way to tell him."

General Organa clapped her hands. "Excellent. In that case, don't let me keep you. Find Finn and tell him."

"Tell me what?" Finn's voice came from behind him and Poe almost jumped out of his skin.

"Finn!" he exclaimed, turning towards Finn. "Buddy! Hey!"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Poe noticed the general usher the others outside, including Rey who was grinning from ear to ear, and a reluctant BB-8. Then he was suddenly alone in the room with the object of his affection and it was one of the scariest moments in Poe's life.

"Hey buddy!" he repeated, beaming at Finn. But Finn didn't return the smile, in fact, he looked a bit tired and worn out. Poe felt his own smile fade.

"So what were you going to tell me?" Finn wanted to know.

Poe ran a hand through his hair and gave an embarrassed laugh. This was even harder than he'd imagined. "Actually, I... uhm, how do I say this..." And apparently he'd lost his ability to form a coherent sentence.

Finn was still waiting for an answer, an unreadable look on his face. "Do you want your jacket back? Is that it?" he suddenly asked, starting to shrug off said jacket. 

Poe's eyes widened. "What? No! Of course not! I meant it when I said you should keep it."

"Then what is it?"

Poe closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gathering all his courage. Then he opened his eyes again and looked right at Finn. 

"This may not be the best moment to tell you," he said, the words coming out in a rush, "but I'm going to tell you anyway because I've waited long enough and I don't want to miss yet another opportunity." He took another breath. It was now or never. "Fact is, I'm in love with you, have been for a while, and I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I wanted to let you know anyway."

Finn simply stared at him in silence, blinking a few times. Then a smile slowly spread over his face, a beautiful smile, and Poe felt something akin to hope. 

"Is that it?" Finn asked softly. When Poe nodded, he gave a little laugh. "And I thought I'd done something to offend you because you kept avoiding me."

"I thought that... well, that you and Rose were together, and I didn't want to get in the way," Poe admitted.

"You're an idiot," Finn told him.

Poe shrugged. "Love does that to people." 

Finn remained silent for a while, and Poe braced himself for the rejection that was sure to come. He told himself he would be fine, that he'd get over it, but he knew that it was going to hurt all the same.

Finally, Finn began to speak. "I don't have much experience when it comes to love," he said. "The First Order isn't exactly the place where they value that kind of emotion. But I've been thinking a lot about love these past few days, and what it means." He sighed. "I thought that I might be in love with Rose, that I should be in love with her because I owed her my life, but that's not how it works, is it?" 

He looked at Poe. "I finally realized that I was only going to hurt her if I just pretended to be in love with her when I really wasn't. When there was someone else I felt drawn to, someone else I couldn't stop thinking about."

Poe's mouth had gone dry and he could only stare at Finn. Did he...did he mean?

"Fact is," Finn continued, "I think I'm in love with you, too, Poe Dameron."

It took a few moments for the words to sink in, but then Poe felt a rush of happiness, and he couldn't help grinning. Finn grinned right back at him, and Poe couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him.

"We're both idiots, aren't we?" he asked.

Finn laughed as well. "Apparently, that's what love does to people. So what do we do now?"

"I think the usual thing to do in these moments is to kiss," Poe told him, reaching for Finn's hands to pull him closer. Finn smiled at him and met him halfway. As kisses went, it was a chaste kiss, but to Poe it was the best kiss he'd ever had. In fact, he hadn't felt this happy in many, many years.

He wrapped his arms around Finn, resting his forehead against Finn's, and simply basked in the moment. Finn's arms wrapped around him as well, and Finn admitted quietly, "I really don't know much about love."

"We'll take things slow," Poe told him. "In any case, there's one thing we have to first."

Finn pulled back slightly so he could look into Poe's eyes. "What's that?"

"Let our families know about us, of course," Poe said with a grin. "If they haven't figured it out already!"


End file.
